Xilan Continent.
On Little Cang Mountain stood the Green Pine Dao Academy.
A narrow stone path, barely wide enough for one person, wound up from the foot of the mountain. Halfway up, through the dense, lush forest, green-tiled roofs and brick walls peeked out.
The midday sun blazed fiercely, and the cicadas buzzed weakly in the heat.
In a small, secluded tile-roofed hut at the edge of the Dao Academy, a young man lay stiffly on the ground. With trembling arms, he propped himself up against the wall, panting heavily.
"Ahh"
Suddenly, he clutched his head with both hands and let out a low groan of pain.
It felt as if a red-hot iron awl had been driven into his skull, twisting without end. The searing pain forced him to grit his teeth, his knuckles turning white as cold sweat soaked his hair.
Unfamiliar memories surged into his mind, stabbing deeper and deeper. His body convulsed violently, every pore screaming as though it could not bear the burden.
He remembered living in a forest of steel and concrete, the modern world. He had been an insurance salesman at Mo'an Insurance. In his spare time, his greatest indulgence was staying at home, diving into novels, movies, and computer games.
His only outdoor hobby was collecting stones by mountain streams. The motive was hardly refined; he simply hoped to find a rare stone to sell for some money and improve his life.
But another set of memories told a different story. In that life, he lived in a cultivation world. His ancestors had once been a proud cultivation clan, but decline had reduced them to wandering loose cultivators. Now, only his father and he remained.
His father, knowing the hardships of a rogue cultivator, had poured all of his hopes into nurturing his son, praying he might one day join a sect and perhaps even rebuild the family's glory.
The Dao Academy was an institution under the Golden Spirit Sect, tasked with supplying new blood to the sect.
The triennial sect entrance trials were drawing near, and he was making his final effort to become a true cultivator.
Like a spinning lantern carousel, memories flashed madly before his eyes. Two entirely different lives blended, merging like two drops of the same blood.
He did not know how long it lasted, but eventually, the pain began to subside. Looking around at the simple furnishings of the room, he slowly pieced together his current situation.
He had transmigrated. In the midst of a sweet dream, he had dimly sensed a flash of light within his room. When he opened his eyes again, he was here.
Dong, dong, dong!
Just as his thoughts were racing, the wooden door was pounded heavily. A rough voice bellowed:
"Ji An, your time is up! Open the door!"
The tangled mess of memories in his head began to untangle. The fragments of this world became clearer.
The original owner of this body was named Ji An, who was seventeen years old. This was his final year at the Dao Academy, for no sect would recruit Qi Refining disciples older than eighteen.
In theory, anyone could cultivate. Some were born with their dantian and ancestral orifice open, their spiritual veins manifesting natural-born seeds of cultivation. Such geniuses were fought over by the sects, starting their journeys at heights others could never reach.
But the vast majority were not so blessed. Their ancestral orifice closed before birth, and their spiritual veins hid away.
For these people, the only path was to train arduously with circulation techniques, refining blood and qi to polish their spiritual foundation. Only then, at the right moment, could they take an Opening Vein Pill to awaken their spiritual veins.
"Open up! I know you're in there!"
The pounding grew louder, dust shaking loose from the doorframe and walls. If the door did not open soon, they would smash their way in.
Ji An bared his teeth, staggering toward the door.
Creaaak.
The door swung open, and before him stood a burly young man, his face still somewhat youthful but his frame broad and muscular, a fist raised high like a clay pot.
Rolling up his sleeves, the man revealed hard, corded muscles. The wide black Dao robe he wore looked almost like a tight shirt on his frame.
His eyes shone bright with spirit, and on the bare skin of his arms shimmered a faint jade-like luster, the mark of one who had stepped into the Qi Refining stage.
Behind him stood two more figures: a tall, straight-backed youth dressed in fine brocade, and a graceful girl in a flowing blue gauze dress.
Their information surfaced in Ji An's mind; they were his creditors. Or rather, now they were his creditors.
The cost of an Opening Vein Pill was a staggering sum for Ji An's family, one his father had struggled for years to gather without success.
Three months ago, his father had visited him, saying that within half a month or at most a month, he would surely have enough spirit stones.
Before leaving, his father had handed over the family's last belongings to him. But as the sect's entrance trials drew closer, there was still no word from his father.
Ji An understood that something must have happened to him.
After much agonizing thought, the former Ji An had made a bold decision.
He lied, claiming that the Spirit-Seeking Mouse his father raised was pregnant, and promised to sell its offspring to the three wealthiest students in the Dao Academy. In this way, he borrowed a total of nine spirit stones.
Added to the thirty-six his father had left behind, the sum was just enough to purchase an Opening Vein Pill from the academy.
Ji An gave a bitter smile in his heart, but forced himself to remain calm on the surface. He cupped his hands respectfully and said:
"Senior Brother Chu, Senior Brother Zhang, Senior Sister Zhao, may I ask what brings you here today?"
Though all three were younger than him, in cultivation seniority was not measured by age but by realm. Since they were already in the Qi Refining stage, he naturally had to address them as senior brother and sister.
"Still pretending, are you?"
Chu He lowered his raised fist. Though he looked burly and strong, he was in fact only fifteen.
"Your father went deep into the mountains to gather herbs. It's been three months without a word; he's most likely already dead. Don't tell me you didn't know! Hand over the spirit stones!"
"Otherwise"
As he spoke, Chu He once again lifted his clay-pot-sized fist.
Ji An's heart grew heavier. The former had already known this matter could not stay hidden for long.
After borrowing the spirit stones, he had immediately exchanged them for an Opening Vein Pill and swallowed it that very night.
He knew that if he missed that chance to step onto the immortal path, it might take years, perhaps decades, to save enough for another pill.
And even then, it was unlikely he could keep the stones safe. Once he left the academy, loose cultivators desperate for advancement would certainly target him.
But fate had played its hand. The former Ji An failed, his cultivation backfired, and he perished. Now, the one standing here was someone entirely different.
"Wait," the girl finally spoke. Her eyes were bright and lively, her beauty radiant as blossoming peach flowers.
"Junior Brother Ji, I see your qi is chaotic and your steps unsteady. Could it be… that you already obtained an Opening Vein Pill and took it?"
"What? You actually took the pill and still failed to open your spiritual veins?"
Chu's eyes widened. It was true that the Opening Vein Pill could not guarantee success, but its chances were over seventy percent.
In his eyes, Ji An might be dull, but he had always cultivated diligently. And the fact that he had managed to remain at the Dao Academy for several years without being expelled showed that the instructors saw some merit in him.
Ji An forced out a smile and once again cupped his hands.
"There was… a mishap. But please, fellow Daoists, rest assured, I will repay the spirit stones."
"And how will you repay them?"
The brocade-robed youth spoke at last, his tone cool.
"You should know very well that we only lent you the spirit stones out of respect for your father. Even if we did not receive the beast cubs, for a Qi Refining cultivator at the eighth level with a Spirit-Seeking Mouse, earning spirit stones would not be that difficult. At worst, one could halt cultivation and work solely to repay the debt."
He stepped forward, his gaze sharp as a blade.
"But you, you haven't even entered the Qi Refining stage. With what will you repay us?"
Ji An fell silent. The other's words were not wrong.
Even if he managed to step onto the immortal path, there was no guarantee he would pass the sect's entrance trial.
And even if he were lucky enough to be admitted, nine spirit stones could not possibly be repaid within a few short years.
Among cultivators, the main currency of the Qi Refining stage was spirit crystals, cut pieces of spirit stone, each the size of a coin. One hundred spirit crystals equaled a single low-grade spirit stone.
At the early Qi Refining stage, ways to earn spirit stones were scarce. In a whole year, one might not even save up half a stone unless one gave up cultivating altogether.
He knew he had to say something. Otherwise, his end would be miserable. After this year's sect trial, he would no longer be allowed to remain in the Dao Academy.
And when that time came, these people would have no shortage of ways to deal with him.
Taking a quiet breath, Ji An's mind raced for an excuse. Though inwardly anxious, his face remained composed; the instincts of an insurance salesman still lingered.
He cleared his throat lightly, cupped his hands, and said solemnly:
"Senior Brother Chu He, Senior Brother Yuanshan, Senior Sister Mengyao…"
Although he had failed to make use of the Opening Vein Pill, if he could grasp the profound intent hidden within the Circulating Vein Method, he could still open his immortal orifice and awaken his spiritual veins.
Ji An bowed slightly, his voice steady:
"I, Ji An, was clumsy. When I took the Opening Vein Pill, my state of mind faltered, and I nearly suffered a backlash. Yet in that desperate moment, I caught a faint glimpse of the method's profound intent.
Before the sect instructors arrive for the examination, I will surely step into the Qi Refining stage."
Confidence radiated from Ji An's face, with no trace of the dejection he had shown moments earlier.
Did he have any certainty? None at all. But if he could not get past this hurdle, what future would there be to speak of? Though inwardly anxious, he did not let it show.
"The sect trial is just around the corner. I ask the three of you, for the sake of our years of study together, grant me this chance.
If I fail to step onto the immortal path, I will certainly give you a satisfactory answer."
"We've studied side by side for years; of course, there's some friendship between us.
Since Junior Brother Ji speaks so earnestly, why not wait a little longer?"
Zhao Mengyao spoke softly, glancing toward the other two.
"The trial is the day after tomorrow, just two nights from now. Senior Brother Zhang, Junior Brother Chu, what say you?"
Chu He was about to reply when Zhang Yuanshan gave him a subtle shake of the head. Turning to Ji An, he said:
"Very well. We'll wait until after the trial. If you fail to enter the sect, our account must be settled!"
Ji An nodded calmly. "Agreed."
Zhang Yuanshan held his gaze for a long moment, then said slowly:
"I trust you will keep your word. Let's go."
"Hmph. See that you do." Chu He snorted coldly and followed after him.
"I wish you success in opening your veins, Junior Brother Ji. May your immortal path be ever green."
Zhao Mengyao gave a polite nod before turning away as well.
When their figures disappeared down the mountain path, the composure faded from Ji An's eyes. He returned to his hut, despondent and unsettled.
Once they had walked some distance, Chu He lowered his voice and muttered:
"Senior Brother, Senior Sister, why didn't we just demand the beast-taming method outright? Ji An's father must have some kind of secret art."
"Heh." Zhang Yuanshan chuckled.
"You think you can buy a beast-taming secret art for a few spirit stones? Dream on.
My uncle once saw Ji An's father's Spirit-Seeking Mouse. It truly had a remarkable ability. If it wasn't just a fluke, then his beast-taming method must be unique. If the technique is complete, it could even serve as a true legacy.
We'll pressure him lightly for now. When he's desperate and cornered, then we can negotiate terms. To demand the secret outright at the start would make us look far too greedy."
Chu He scratched his head. "But… what if Ji An really succeeds in opening his veins and enters the sect? Then we won't be able to control him."
"You believe that?" Zhang Yuanshan frowned.
Zhao Mengyao smiled gently, her tone calm.
"Junior Brother, anyone who can comprehend the profound intent of the Circulating Vein Method before turning eighteen must be a person of extraordinary perception.
If Ji An truly had such talent, he would not have wasted five years in the Dao Academy without succeeding."
The profound intent of the method could only be understood through personal realization. Hearing others explain it often only created mental barriers.
Cultivation was, after all, a struggle against heaven. Without sufficient foundation and insight, how could one grasp profound intent?
But if one wasted too much time in comprehension, they would miss the best age to enter the path. That was why the vast majority could only rely on Opening Vein Pills to begin cultivation.
"But… what if he has a sudden breakthrough?" Chu He muttered under his breath, then added: "We should at least guard against him trying to run away."
"You think he can escape our hands?
Still, to avoid unnecessary trouble, go down the mountain now. Have people guard all the academy's entrances and every hidden path as well."